Looking to get into astronomy, plz help!

[David Veliath]

My name is David, and I'm a 9th grader living in India. I've been reading about astronomy for a while, and decided to buy a telescope. I started saving up but need help on finding a good scope. I was thinking about a 8 Inch GSO astrograph from tejraj, but I am not sure about it. I haven't seen any reviews online, although GSO seems to be a reputable brand. My goal for now is visual astronomy, but in the future I may try out astrophotography. Here is a link to the scope.

http://www.tejraj.com/gso-8-f4.html

I was also considering a Dobsonian, but they are quite large. I travel a lot with my family, so I'm looking for a good scope that is easy to travel with. My total budget is around 50-55k rupees (approximately 850 dollars) and the telescope I'm thinking of costs around 33k, but doesn't come with eyepieces or a mount. Could anyone suggest a better scope for about the same price? I also need a mount, but am unsure which one to buy. I've heard that it is a good idea to buy a mount with a weight rating double that of the scope for camera and motors but is such a mount necessary for me? Price is a factor here.. Also I'm not sure of which eyepiece to buy, I need help here as well. I'm unsure of which accesories to buy. Is a motor really necessary? 

One more thing.. Can anyone tell if these reflectors are easy to travel with? I frequently travel on plane and bus so are these somewhat large telescopes able to be taken around as carry-on luggage? This is why my dad, although interested in astronomy, is reluctant to buy a telescope. I live in a city, but we frequently travel to rural areas and my dad wants a telescope that we can bring on a bus. Does anyone here use the particular telescope that I mentioned, or even any GSO scope? Are they of good build quality, and can be taken around without too much worry? 

Thanks,

David

[rockystar]

Welcome David - there are a couple of things that make me nervous about recommending you go for that:

lack of a mount or EPs immediately adds to your costs.

It's a fast scope, so cheaper EPs will struggle.

It's focal length is longer than the tube length - normally suggests a built in Harlow.

If you want to travel with it, I might suggest a smaller refractor to get you going.

A dobsonian is a good buy, but not plane worthy.

[ronin]

Scopes that size will literally be thrown in the baggage hold. Carry-on scopes are usually in the 80mm diameter or less size.

That scope is a bit of a specilised imaging scope, so not sure how it would work as a visual scope, you would likely need a 2" extension piece for the focuser, and then eyepieces. I presume that it comes with none as it is not primarily aimed at the visual side just imaging. I see they mention coma correctors as being available, read that as being necessary, which I would expect on an f/4 8" reflector.

If you use it for visual thaen you will need good eyepieces, f/4 is a bit at the extreme for an eyepiece. Being f/4 if you transport it then expect to need to check collimating every time. Again an f/4 scope is critical of collimation and needs to be kept in collimation.

To image with that you will need a good solid large mount, EQ6 minimum I would say. And they are not in the "grab and go " classification of mounts.

For a first scope it appears to be at the sort of extreme side.

Since that is your thoughts I am not sure what to suggest. For simple viewing and ignoring huge magnifications, imaging and accepting some CA I would say one of the Bresser 102S scopes at 21,000 (not sure how much that is in UK terms) and a simple Alt/Az manual mount. Get a goto mount later. However that is very far removed from what I guess are your thoughts.

My thinking is an inexpensive simple one for now and advance further into it all later. However the reality is few do that. The one I was searching for in the site was the ES Firstlight AR-80640 (not sure about the AR bit) but not there. Sort of the exact opposite of your thoughts, but inexpensive.

[MattJenko]

An 8 inch GSO astrograph is a fierce entry into astronomy. I would not recommend that, but would advise a decent small newtonian /mak / refractor and an AltAz mount for some visual pleasure. Astrophotography is another world entirely and should be addressed when you decide to go for it. If you get a small refractor/Mak and a simple alt az mount, then you will be able to take it on a plane no problem. For that amount, here are some examples of a kit to get you thinking about total budget and what you actually need for a complete setup:

Scope:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1178_Vixen-VMC-110-L-110mm-F9-4-Maksutov-Telescope.html

Mount:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8069_TS-Optics-Altazimuth-Mount-with-Fine-Adjustment-and-Quick-Release.html

Eyepieces:

Couple of these: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html

Cheers

Matt

 

[Floater]

Woah, David! 

As advice above, that scope is unlikely to suit your needs. It would probably bring more trouble than fun ... and that is not what you want with your first telescope, or any telescope for that matter.

Hope you (and your dad) get sorted. I'm sure you will - but I doubt if it will be with the telescope you're 'thinking about' just now. The suggestions above are sound.

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL. As has been explained this is not really a suitable scope for a beginner and is certainly not suitable for travelling with.

[David Veliath]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.. I've heard that reflectors are more value for money than refractors, which is why I was looking at Newtonians. Dobsonians are quite large which is why I was looking at this scope. Tejraj recently stopped carrying Orion so GSO is the other option for an 8 inch. However, I think you are right in the sense that that might be too large for me, so would a 6 inch be more appropriate to my needs? I won't be able to frequently change my telescope, I need one that I can be happy with for a long time, and I heard that 8 inch is the best compromise between price and power. Also since I live in India, my options are limited. Do you think that these telescopes are better? At least, for my purposes?

http://www.tejraj.com/skywatcher150x750.html

Also GSO has a few RC tubes which are expensive, but light and cheap. Should I consider them? Eyepiece, mount, and finderscope are not included and I'm unsure of which ones to buy. I'm not sure if this is the best choice for a noob, but here are the links.

http://www.tejraj.com/6-inch-RC-OTA.html

And this is another scope that I'm considering, although the problem of it having a short focal ratio is present here as well. This GSO scope comes with a mount though, so I might go for it if you guys think it is the scope for me.

http://www.tejraj.com/6inch-F4-exos1.html

Thanks again,

David

 

[MattJenko]

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that scope, and can make a fine imaging rig and an observing system, with the right adaptors. The mount is not for imaging though, and would be for visual only, and an EQ based one at that, which I did not like when i started out, with a 5" Newt on a similar EQ mount. I would have preferred an AltAz to make my life easier.

[David Veliath]

 

10 minutes ago, MattJenko said:

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that scope, and can make a fine imaging rig and an observing system, with the right adaptors. The mount is not for imaging though, and would be for visual only, and an EQ based one at that, which I did not like when i started out, with a 5" Newt on a similar EQ mount. I would have preferred an AltAz to make my life easier.

wait which scope? the astrograph?

 

[MattJenko]

The GSO 6" Newt. It is more geared for photography, but will work for visual, although it will be very hard on eyepieces, so you won't get away with average EPs, you will need to get some higher quality ones to cope with the tight light cone at that focal ratio, as not all EPs work well below F5.

[swamp thing]

A telescope you can take on a bus........

This is not an easy one.

TBH I'm struggling a bit to know what to recommend. I would urge you to try to go somewhere where you can see some scopes. Recommending a scope for someone to travel with is very much dependent on the person who it's going to be travelling with, and the conditions one is travelling under. What I mean is some peoples travelling limitations could be very different from others. Travelling on an empty bus is very different than a bus packed with people if you catch my drift. You and your dad could possibly manage an 8" reflector between the two of you on a bus with only a few people on it, but trying the same thing on a bus rammed full of people would be a different matter altogether. 

How far from the bus station/stop are you? is another consideration. Walking a mile or more with a scope of some size is going to be a chore. 
TBH I think you need to look at some small refractors first.  

 

[Nyctimene]

How about the Skywatcher Heritage130 P Flextube? With a f/5 focal ratio you would not need expensive eyepieces; for travelling, it could be mounted on a lightweight AltAz mount/tripod combo. Small and rugged enough for bus trips. There is a huge thread on this scope (Astronomers Without Borders scope) on the cloudyNights forum:

OneSky Newtonian - Astronomers without borders - Beginners Forum - Cloudy Nights

Stephan

[JOC]

As you know I don't use a set, but more senior SGLers might be able to comment - is this a binoculars and tripod scenario?

[BeerMe]

11 hours ago, Nyctimene said:

How about the Skywatcher Heritage130 P Flextube? With a f/5 focal ratio you would not need expensive eyepieces; for travelling, it could be mounted on a lightweight AltAz mount/tripod combo. Small and rugged enough for bus trips. There is a huge thread on this scope (Astronomers Without Borders scope) on the cloudyNights forum:

OneSky Newtonian - Astronomers without borders - Beginners Forum - Cloudy Nights

Stephan

The Dobsonian version of the Heritage is collapsible enough, with the aid of 2 small spanners and a star screwdriver, to be dismantled and fitted in a good sized backpack.  Setup would be 10 minutes at most, and they hold collimation very well when being transported.

I think this could be a perfect option David :-)

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

They are marketed as the AWB OneSky outwith the UK, if shipping from the UK is prohibitive.  Same scope, same specs, different branding.

[Dave In Vermont]

Something that can get knocked about during travel. Won't cost a fortune for top-of-the-line eyepieces. Will provide excellent resolution of fine details on smaller-targets (planets, comets, certain types of nebulae and star-clusters - M13 e.g.). Not too expensive. Hmmm.....

While no one telescope will do everything the best - which is why you see many of us have more than one scope - one telescope comes to mind with traveling first in mind. A Maksutov-Cassegrain. Something like this:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-127-supatrak.html

Not the best for wide views of extended star-fields or nebulae like The Veil. But enough DSO's (Deep Sky Objects) and planets to keep anyone busy for many, many, many nights.

Hope this helps,

Dave

 

P.S. - Welcome to SGL - we love questions, so keep them coming!

[David Veliath]

I've been doing a bit of research and I've talked to a few people, like many of you have said, the GSO astrograph probably isn't the best choice for me. An F5 6 or 8 inch newt would have been perfect, although since I live in a city, and I will be going to more rural areas for viewing, and so need a more compact scope. I think I will be spending more time with DSOs than planets or lunar viewing, so that leaves catadioptric. Could  someone help me between choosing a Mak, SCT, or RC? I doubt I'll be getting a refractor. SCTs are not available here in my price range, but I will try calling some sites, or if nothing else, possibly import one from UK. I think the SCT is the best type for me, although I still would like to hear your opinions. If I can't get a SCT, then my options are a 127 mm Mak and a 150 mm RC, but I'm not sure which to get. Please help!

 

http://www.tejraj.com/mc127-ota.html

http://www.tejraj.com/6-inch-RC-OTA.html

It seems the mak is more suited for planetary views, and the RC towards astrophotography. Also buying all the additional required stuff, such as eyepieces, mount, etc, both will cost more than the astrograph. I don't want to make the wrong choice, seeing as how I'm about to invest quite a lot of money, that's why I've been asking doubts for such a long time.. sorry if it got somewhat irritating

Thanks,

David

[Dave In Vermont]

Forget about the RC's. These are best used for AP )AstroPhotography) use. Visually they aren't worth the cost involved.

I suggested the Maksutov over an SCT - which are quite similar - as I don't see many (even 'any') SCT's in your price-range. But I'm not the end-all, be-all of experts, and may well be wrong. But regardless of it being an SCT or a  MCT configuration - I'm glad to see you're leaning in this direction.

You're obviously a very intelligent young man!

Starry Skies -

Dave

 

[Louis D]

You seem like an aspiring and bright young man.  If after getting a smaller aperture commercial scope you still desire more aperture in a travel scope in the future, and you're handy with wood working or metal working, you could go the ATM route and build a compact travel dobsonian scope of 8 inches or more aperture in an airline carry-on sized case.  Here are several examples.  The optics and mechanicals could be obtained from a used dobsonian.

[Alan64]

Hello David,

We both missed seeing this one...

https://galileotelescope.com/telescopes/cassegrains/celestron-nexstar-6se-sct-ota-only.html

It's less than this one...

https://galileotelescope.com/telescopes/cassegrains/celestron-6-schmidt-cassegrain-ota-with-cg-5-mount-plate.html

There's really no difference worth mentioning between the two.

 

For deep-sky, and for the higher magnifications for the Moon and planets when desired, this is also an option, and the mount is included...

https://galileotelescope.com/telescopes/newtonians-dobsonians/orion-starblast-6-astro-reflector.html

I have it myself, and it's rather compact...

I'm able to use powers as low as 19x, and with wider fields-of-view.  I've also had it up to almost 200x.  It'll go higher, but the collimation must be spot-on and the telescope itself mounted on an equatorial mount instead.

Did you see this alt-azimuth mount...

http://www.tejraj.com/atz-mount-with-tripod.html

...?  I have that mount, too.  I mounted that 6" f/5 there on it even...

The mount's legs fold up easily, and the legs retract, too...

Just look at how low and compact it sits.

Whichever telescope you choose, I would strongly suggest that GSO alt-azimuth mount.  It has slow-motion controls, too, for tracking anything and everything.

[rockystar]

16 hours ago, Alan64 said:

Just look at how low and compact it sits

does the mount head swing down in between the legs when It's folded up? Just wondering about it's foot print for travel.

[Alan64]

No, but the mount-arm can be easily removed, then to fit the arm between the legs for storage and travelling.  The entire mount would then fit within a variety of bags.

[Alan64]

To illustrate, there are only two bolts that attach the arm to azimuth-head...

The extra mounting holes allow for a straight-up position of the arm and an opposite-angle position.  This is the manual for my own...

https://astronomics.com/documents/astro tech/astro-tech voyager manual.pdf

The current GSO is the exact same mount, and is a Taiwanese clone of the Japanese Takahashi Teegul(large) which is no longer available...

Teleskop Service carries the GSO there in Europe.

Andrews Communications carries it in Australia... http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-content-section-10-guansheng.htm ...and near the bottom of that page...

...and Agena Astro in the U.S.... http://agenaastro.com/gso-skyview-deluxe-altaz-mount.html